As Devils' road win streak increases, so do key injuries

October 27, 12:58 PMNew Jersey Devils ExaminerJoe Rizzo

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Jacques Lemaire cringes as the Devils' injuries mount

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

The Devils' impressive 4-1 victory at defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh on Saturday was as costly as it was rewarding.

The victory over the Penguins gave the Devils five wins in as many road games to start the season - unprecedented in team history.  But it also came with the price of extended injuries to No. 1 defenseman Paul Martin and defensive left wing Jay Pandolfo.

• BOXSCORE: Devils 4, Penguins 1- Oct. 24, 2009

Martin suffered a non-displaced fracture of the lower bone in his left arm, while Pandolfo injured his right shoulder.  While Martin is not expected to have surgery, it is not yet certain whether or not Pandolfo will.

Martin's arm will be in a cast, and he will be out four-to-six weeks. 

Pandolfo initially will try rehabilitation to the shoulder, and is slated to be out the same amount of time.  However, there is a chance the injury could be less serious, allowing him back into the lineup in less time.  On the flip side, if it does not respond positively to the rehab, surgery could be required that would leave the veteran out indefinitely.

Mike Mottau, who was missing from the back line for the game against Pittsburgh, and fellow defensman Colin White sat out Monday's practice, but it appears both should be in the lineup when the Devils return to action at home Wednesday against the Buffalo Sabres because both practiced Tuesday morning.

Cory Murphy is expected to be recalled from Lowell.  Mark Fraser should remain in the lineup after stepping in for Mottau and scoring a goal against Pittsburgh in his season debut.

Nearly forgotten is the injury to Patrik Elias.  Elias remains sidelined after training camp surgery in the groin and abdominal areas.  Elias is not yet practicing with the team, so the initial analysis that had him returning by late October appears off the mark.

New Jersey's perfect road record lies in contrast to the team's home struggles, which somehow have produced a 10 percent uptick in attendance (compared to the first four home dates last season), and a 1-3-0 record.   The last of those games at the Prudential Center was an impressive 2-0 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Oct. 17.

With Martin, Elias and Pandolfo missing at the same time, there are going to have to be adjustments to how coach Jacques Lemaire uses his personnel. 

Martin leads the team in average ice time and plays in all situations.  Outside of a trade for a big name, there is no turn-key solution to replace Martin, so his minutes are likely to be absorbed across the board.  It gives Fraser a short-term chance to impress.

Up front, Lemaire is handling a roster with an amount of new faces that many in Devils Legion might find surprising. 

Rob Niedermayer's role has been important, especially for a player signed eight days before the season opener, and it continues to grow with Pandolfo out.  Niclas Bergfors is beginning to contribute, while fellow rookie and Matt Halischuk has yet to grab a full-time role.

Halischuk has been in a lineup shuffle with Ilkka Pikkarainen and the rugged Andrew Peters and Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond. 

The Pandolfo injury figures to give both Halischuk and Pikkarainen an opportunity to step in full-time, unless there is a forward recalled from Lowell.  While Elias and Pandolfo are sidelined, it leaves 13 healthy forwards.  Peters and Leblond figure to battle for the 12th spot.